By Robbie Blakeley, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Fluminense and Botafogo drew 1-1 last night at the Maracanã in the 25th round of the Campeonato Brasileiro. The result did little to help either side: Botafogo fell further behind leaders Cruzeiro after the Minas side’s 4-0 thrashing of Portuguesa while Fluminense failed to make up ground on the top four and qualification spots for next year’s Copa Libertadores, and remain eighth.
Both goals were scored in the opening fourteen minutes. Flu raced into the lead inside two minutes when Biro Biro combined with Jean and slotted the ball past Jefferson.
Botafogo equalized when Bolívar fortuitously diverted Seedorf’s free-kick into the net. Flu striker Rafael Sóbis believed his side deserved all three points.
“We were far better. We conceded an accidental goal, Bolívar didn’t know he had scored. The result wasn’t ideal, but we played well,” he said.
Biro Biro missed a chance to give Flu the lead before the interval and it would have been no more than the Tricolor deserved. During the second half, Fluminense coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo brought on Rhayner for veteran Felipe in order to give the attack more speed.
As the game reached its closing stages, Fluminense took the game to their beleaguered opponents. Rafael Sóbis had two shots but was matched by Jefferson on both occasions and had to settle for a point.
Further south, Flamengo comfortably defeated Coritiba to ease relegation fears. Goals from André Santos and Wallace gave the Rubro-Negro their first win at Couto Pereira, Coritiba’s home stadium in Curitiba, for fifteen years and climb to eleventh place in the Brasileirão table.
Read more (in Portuguese).
* The Rio Times Daily Updates feature is offered to help keep you-to-date with important news as it happens.
Read More from The Rio Times